Keeping the Faith
by QuixoticQuest
Summary: Five years ago they both went off to college. Now they have different lives, different levels in wizardry, and moreover why does one of them have a new wizardry partner? Do the Powers really want to bring them back together or drive them further apart?
1. Doubt and Distrust

**Keeping the Faith**

**Chapter 1: Doubt and Distrust  
**

_A/N- This story was inspired partly by the film "Keeping the Faith" which I do not own and by some things I've been thinking about in general. _

_This is going to be a super short series (I couldn't wait until "In Rainbows" was finished to start) and I'll most likely finish it before I go back to college (I'm currently on a college run internship program until mid February) so you can expect pretty quick updates (as far as length goes-time wise I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update because of my internship)._

_Please read the bold notes as they will act as a guide where the timeline is set. This story is part of the 20 by 20 Challenge._

_HAPPY NEW YEAR! _

_-Don ^_^_

_

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The doors clanged shut and she sat back with a sigh. There were only a few places she could relax these days and one of those was the bus. It was ironic that she felt at ease in a stuffy and smelly place like a public bus, but it still felt comforting somehow.

About five or six years ago she'd moved away from her home to live in a noisy college dorm filled with loud music at three in the morning, the smell of alcohol on everyone's breath and constant drama. She wasn't expecting that to be part of the deal. As her major was supposed to be the focal point of the drama, since it was acting, she didn't really bank on it existing outside of the normal expectations of the college "drama." Boy was she ever wrong.

She also didn't expect to lose contact with so many people from her high school years or to grow closer to her sister. The past six years had served to give her a general sense of anxiety. Kit hadn't spoken much to her since they entered college or at all since they graduated. She didn't blame him for getting wrapped up in his college experience and thus becoming distracted. They weren't in the same city, let alone the same state anymore, but she didn't expect to lose their friendship altogether though. Since moving to Chicago to work at a theater that had offered her a job, she'd met so many new people that it hadn't hurt her as much as she'd thought it would to not have him in her life anymore.

The doors snapped open and she reached down to pull a book from the plastic bag at her feet. As soon as she was settled with it in her hands and had tuned out her surroundings she felt someone slide into the seat to her right. The person's jacket swished and she looked up as she felt someone's eyes on her.

"Nita?" She stared at the man sitting next to her. He had on a long beige trench coat and a blue suit complete with a dark blue tie. With the way his hair was neatly combed and the way he pulled down his sunglasses to peer at her face, she never would have recognized her best friend.

"Kit?" She blurted. He grinned.

"Wow, it's been forever, huh?" The smile faltered on his face when she didn't return it for a full minute. "Um, I guess I haven't responded to you as much as I should have." This wasn't the place to start a face and she knew it. Plus her sense of comfort and security on buses had been breached as of that moment.

"I'm getting off," She jerked her head, indicating that he should follow. With a slightly fearful glance behind him, Kit followed her off the bus. Once on the curb, she turned to him, a full frown on her face.

"Just what the hell are you doing, acting all casual after six years of barely talking to me? And what's up with your getup?" She gestured to his suit. "I thought you went to school to study drawing."

He sheepishly ran a hand through his hair, "Well, I did, but then I met a professor there who got me into law. So here I am." He gestured to the buildings around them. "I moved here after I graduated."

"And you didn't think to call me? You _knew _I was here, Kit!" Nita said, scowling deeply at him. Kit shifted uncomfortably. He had known she was here, but every day, month and soon years that had passed since they last talk had made it harder to pick up the phone and he'd since lost his ability to use their mind-talk. He wasn't even sure why he'd let it happen in the first place.

"Look, Neets, I've been an idiot, okay? We both know this was my fault," He said.

"Got that right," Nita said, folding her arms across her chest. "Well, no use in dwelling on the past." She said it in a neutral and forgiving tone, but her eyes told him that she hadn't forgiven him yet. "Let's go grab a bite to eat and you can tell me what's been going on."

She lead the way down the sidewalk and they stopped in front of a small pizzeria on the corner called "Chi-Town Pizza." She figured she liked it because it was the closest thing to New York style pizza in Chicago. Once inside with their drinks she noticed that he was looking everywhere but at her.

"Kit, look at me," He did, finally and she fixed him with a hard stare. "There's something important that I need to tell you."

Kit blanched, "You're getting married?" He asked. Nita blinked. Sure, she'd had her fair share of boyfriends over the years, but she hadn't met anyone worth marrying yet. She had to wonder why he was so rattled by that notion. But she'd ask him about it later.

"I've got a-" She began but was interrupted by the arrival of the waitress.

"One large, half pepperoni and half cheese," He smiled at her. He still remembered that she liked plain pizzas better than anything else. That was something. But he didn't seem eager to hear what she had to say. Over the next hour and a half that they were there, a distraction of some kind popped up at every moment she tried to bring up the topic again. Kit too changed the topic or said something about the scenery whenever she tried to broach it.

Finally she looked at her watch and sighed, "Well, I've got to go home." She nodded to him and stood up. "We should talk more."

He opened his mouth to say something and then nodded instead, "Yeah, sounds good." He wasn't sure why he wasn't letting her say what she wanted to say. After all, he'd been trying to find out where she lived now so he could fix their friendship. Plus, she'd already said she wasn't getting married, so what was he so worried about? And why was he worried about that in the first place? It wasn't like he wanted to, right?

Nita walked out the door and he sat back in his seat with a sigh. He'd have to find out sooner or later. He stood up and noted that she'd paid for their meal. He was a little ticked off by that for some reason that he couldn't quite place. Everything about seeing her again threw him off balance. He put an extra tip on the table without thinking much of it before he grabbed his coat and walked out the door.

He turned the corner and ran smack into the first person he saw heading in his direction. "Hey, watch it!" Kit blinked. The man's voice was oddly accented and familiar. There was also a distinct pride in it that was unmistakable. "Just because you're American you think you can-" The man paused.

"Christopher?" Kit grimaced at the name. He still disliked his full name.

"The same," He wished he could run into someone else besides his old… what? He still had no idea what to call the Irish guy who had been walking around with Nita's first kiss. Kit shook the image from his mind. "What exactly are you doing here, Ronan?"

Ronan took his turn to be surprised, "Nita didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Kit asked.

"I assumed you two had met already," Ronan waved his hand, "Well, we're working together now."

"As in wizardry partners?" Kit asked. Ronan nodded. Without another word Kit stomped off in the opposite direction, not bothering to heed the warning Ronan shouted right before Kit stalked huffily into the open street. The blaring horn brought him out of his angry reverie, but not before a car knocked him over in its attempt to screech to a halt.

**A/N- Don't worry, Guys, he's fine. Just goes to show you that you shouldn't walk around obliviously in a city. I'll try to update again soon, thanks for reading! =) **


	2. Where We Are

**Chapter 2**

**Where We Are**

_A/N- Okay, so I decided to not have too much suspense (since I ended the last chapter on a weird note) and to post this one now rather than later. _

_Plus, I start my internship tomorrow morning so I might not get to post until I'm used to the patterns of my working week. _

_WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR BOOK FIVE. _

_This has been,_

_-Doooon ^_^ _

_

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_

Kit squeezed his eyes shut as a sharp pain ran through his skull. What was wrong with him? One minute he was walking somewhere and the next he was… wait, where was he? He opened his eyes. He couldn't remember who he was talking to last, but he did know that whoever it was had ticked him off considerably.

"Well, it looks like he's regaining consciousness."

"I called an ambulance, do we know who to call to pick him up?"

"I know him, so I can call."

Kit moaned. He knew that last voice and he wasn't happy to hear it. "Stop talking, you're hurting my head."

"The ambulance is on its way, just hang on." A voice said. Kit could hear the murmurs of people around him and wondered why they were all standing there. His head throbbed and he dropped the thought. Moments later he slipped back into unconsciousness.

* * *

For the second time that day, Kit woke up in a strange place. He glanced around him and unlike the other time he could actually tell where he was. The boring white linens on the bed and the distinct smell of disinfectant filled his senses. He wrinkled his nose as the smell filled his nostrils. Kit had never really liked the feel of hospitals as a whole, not since Nita's mother passed away.

"Kit?" Speaking of Nita, what was she doing here? His eyes finally cleared and her face swam into focus. "Thank God you're awake." She crossed over to the side of his bed and sat down in a chair. There was no way for him to tell if he was delirious or if she was actually at his bedside with a furrowed brow of concern on her face when just hours before she'd been irritated at him for neglecting her all these years. Why couldn't she just make up her mind?

"Nita?" Kit said, hoping that if this was an illusion it would break before he became too engaged in it.

"Yes, Nita," She said with a frown, "You scared me to death. What were you thinking walking into an open street like that?"

"Well, if Ronan hadn't lied about you two being partners I would have been in the mood to notice," Kit muttered. Her brows knit together in a wary scowl.

"Kit, he wasn't lying," She said, "That's what I was trying to tell you back at the pizzeria." He felt his heart sink into his stomach. First she gets mad at him when they see each other for the first time in years, next he finds out she'd become wizardry partners with the only person from Ireland that he didn't want to see ever again and he'd been hit by a car. Clearly, he wasn't having the best day of his life.

"So next you're going to tell me you two are going to get married and become the seniors of this area?" Kit snapped. Nita sighed.

"Come on, Kit, don't be ridiculous. Our relationship has been and always will be strictly business," She replied with an edge to her tone that wasn't there before. Kit laughed hollowly. He wasn't sure if he doubted her because of the recent news he'd received or if he was grouchy because of the massive headache he had. Didn't they use painkillers?

"Oh, yeah? Was it business when you had your tongue down his throat in Ireland?" Nita flinched slightly, but if she was hurt deeply by his comment she didn't show it any more than that.

"Kit, you know nothing happened after that," She straightened. "But if that's all you want to talk about, I'm going to go to work. I just came by to see if you were okay." Without another word she stood up and walked out of the hospital room. She brushed shoulders with Ronan on the way out, who turned to watch her go by and then refocused his attention on Kit.

"Don't tell me you're the reason she was upset," From the tone of Ronan's voice, Kit knew it wasn't a question but strong accusation with a threat dangling at the end of it. Kit rolled his eyes.

"Oh, please," He said with a glare, "You think just because you told me you two are partners and you called an ambulance to help me everything is hunky dory?"

Ronan frowned at Kit, "I thought you two trusted each other. I was under the impression that if Nita proposed that we be partners she'd discussed it with you first." Kit opened his mouth and then shut it. That wasn't true at all. Not only had she not said anything to him in years, but she hadn't even mentioned the possibility of changing partners, not once.

Kit's face fell, "No, she didn't mention it." Ronan's expression changed from one of anger to sympathy.

"I apologize then. I thought you knew," He gave a nod to Kit before exiting the room. He was angry. No, he was dumbfounded. Sure he and Nita hadn't seen one another in years, but he hadn't thought it had gotten to be this bad. Did she really hate him that much for not being there all those years?

* * *

**Six Years Earlier**

"Nita? What are you doing? Let's go," The carpeted floor creaked and Harry Callahan poked his head around the door jamb, tying his tie around his neck as he walked in to check in on his eldest daughter.

Nita sighed and put the last item in her duffle before zipping it up. "Ready, Sweetie?" Mr. Callahan held out a hand to take the bag but Nita shook her head.

"Come on, Dad, I've got to learn how to carry my own bag at some point," She sighed as she noticed how lopsided her father's tie was. "And you need to learn how to tie a tie properly." He stood still while she reached over to redo his tie.

"I'm still not used to doing it myself," Mr. Callahan said. Nita arched her brow. She couldn't believe how her father had gotten on without her mother for so long. Who had tied his ties before then? Still, he'd raised his daughters alone until Nita was ready to leave for college and she had to love him for all the hard work he'd done until now. "You're going to college. I guess that makes me old." He said with a laugh.

"Dad, you're not old," Nita said, smiling at him. She hefted the duffle and then jerked her head. "Come on, we'll miss our flight." Without another word, he followed her out, but not before he cast a sorrowful glance back at the almost empty room, sighed and then closed the door behind him.

* * *

"Do you have everything?" Kit's mother held out another pile of clothes, "I don't think you packed enough sweaters."

"Mama," Kit said with a groan, "I'm not going to the North Pole." She frowned at him.

"Don't be cheeky, you don't know what you're doing out there," She wagged a finger at him, "And Nita won't be there to nag you about these things, you know." Kit sighed. He hated when she used arguments like that. She knew they worked on him because Nita _did _nag him about acting stupid and she really wasn't going to be with him at college now. It was weird to not have his best friend down the street or at least within beaming distance through magic. He was sure he realized how hard that was going to be. Things had already been tough when she'd left one year before, but now they were going to be home at different times and wouldn't get to see each other more than once or twice a year, maybe less.

"Our Nino is going to college," Kit's father said, putting his arm around his wife. He shook his head.

"Pop," Kit groaned. Even though he was eighteen years old, his parents still liked to baby him, especially his mother. It ticked him off to no end and he spent hours complaining about to Nita over the phone or through mind talk. He was grateful that they still could do that at least. Mr. Rodriguez came over and clapped his son on the shoulder.

"You're a man now, so you're responsible for yourself," Mr. Rodriguez said. Kit nodded. He was often amused at how little his parents still understood wizardry. It was something that helped people to grow up faster and to understand that the world didn't just revolve around one person, one species or even one planet. Kit had long realized that he was responsible for his actions as well as those of his planet. He also knew he'd have to start thinking about becoming a senior if that's what he wanted to be.

"You also need to learn how to shave," Kit's mother added, patting his cheek, which sported some hairs that had recently begun to grow there. Nita had endlessly teased him about how he hadn't grown any facial hair over the years. She was sure that the moment he did, they wouldn't be friends. He resented the comment as he'd sworn that he'd never stop being her friend no matter what. If he had to choose between facial hair and Nita, he'd definitely choose the latter. He sighed. He hoped she didn't have any plans to split once he showed her his forming stubble.

Needless to say, he was proud of it. He turned his head so his mother couldn't see that he'd turned red at the mention of his hair.

"Let's go, Kit," His father said, but before Kit could slip out the door, he was brought into a bone crushing hug by his mother and kissed too many times for him to count.

"Mama, I've got to go," He said.

"Yeah, so I can use your room for the aliens coming in next week," Carmela said from the stairwell. Kit couldn't help but roll his eyes in exasperation.

"Love you too, 'Mela," He said with a wave of his hand and followed his father out the door. The drive to the airport was quiet enough and when the time came to board, he gave his father a quick hug and then got on. He wondered if Nita had had this much trouble leaving when she graduated last year. She only had one parent to fuss over her, but that probably meant he was more emotional than both Kit's parents put together. He couldn't imagine what that was like.

Once he was settled in his seat he felt a small tap on his shoulder. "Hey, sorry, my seat's by the window." Kit shook his head. He took a look at the young man standing next to him. He was maybe a year or two older than Kit and was dressed in a plain white collared shirt, kakis and chucks. He also sported a gray faded fedora over his blonde-brown hair.

"No problem," Kit stood up and moved out so the other boy could sit down. Once they were both seated, the other stuck out his hand to Kit.

"I'm Newman," He said. Kit took the hand and shook it. That was his first name? It was a last name as far as Kit was concerned.

"Kit Rodriquez," Kit opened his mouth to ask the question but before he could, Newman answered it for him.

"It's my last name, but everyone calls me that for some reason," Newman said. "My first name's Randolph." Kit could see why he didn't want to be called that, it was a really fancy name. He wondered if Newman had a really long middle name too. He found those interesting for some reason.

"My full name's Christopher, but I hate it when people call me that," Kit said and then he added as an afterthought, "Except for my best friend."

"Best friend? He must really be something," Newman said, lifting his brow with interest. Kit smiled.

"She is," He affirmed with a smile. Both of Newman's eyebrows went up at that and his eyes widened slightly.

"She?" He grinned, "You sure she isn't your girlfriend?" Kit shook his head.

"No, we're just friends," He shrugged, "Besides, she'd never see me that way anyways." Newman shrugged and then began to dig through his bag, retrieving a small book of crosswords.

"You never know," He said and then left Kit to sit there with his thoughts. After a while they began talking about. This time about their majors and Newman seemed interested in why Kit had decided to go to a different school from Nita.

"Look, she wanted to do acting and I wanted to become an artist," Kit explained. He knew that his grandfather had wanted him to enter the military at some point, but Kit had adamantly refused. He would completely undo everything he'd fought for as a wizard if he went to war. Not to mention he'd almost never get to see his family and Nita would be disappointed. She disliked the idea of war or just of dying in general. He wasn't about to do that to her.

"Aren't there schools with both?" Newman asked. Kit sighed.

"We weren't going to plan our lives around each other," Kit said. "That would be a mistake."

"Well, if you say so," Newman said, "But I know from experience that some mistakes are best made than unmade." Kit blinked. That was an unusually astute statement. "There are no accidents." That brought Kit's full attention on the other boy. "Sorry, I saw your manual when you were pulling out your book." Newman nodded to the book on Kit's lap. "Well met on the journey, Cousin."

Kit was too stunned to speak. Sure, he'd expected there to be wizards out there, but he hadn't expected to meet one right away or one on the airplane ride to his college. Or for that wizard to also be at Kit's college as well, there certainly weren't any accidents. This had to be the Powers doing.

"Dai," Kit said with a smile. Things were going to be a little easier with another wizard on campus at least.

**A/N- To be continued in the next chapter…. **


End file.
